Originally bred in Germany, poodles found their way across Europe and then the United States and the rest of the world.
This highly intelligent dog breed has been France’s heart and soul. She’s also celebrated across the globe for her sophistication and captivating qualities.
Owning a poodle means welcoming a people-oriented pet at home. She will jump at the opportunity to spend time with you. She’s good-natured, affectionate, and social.
On the other hand, a poodle is regrettably a high-maintenance dog.
This is one breed with a thick and dense coat. If you are new to the poodle parenting thing, grooming your adorable fur buddy can take a toll on you.
Lucky for you, we are here to help. In this guide, we walk you through the process of giving your Poodle a puppy cut.
What Is A Poodle Puppy Cut?
First things first, you need to understand what a poodle puppy cut is.
If you have ever taken a long-haired canine to a professional groomer before, you might have been asked whether you wanted her to have a puppy cut or a breed clip.
In simple terms, a breed clip refers to a specific hairstyle suited to the breed in question.
A puppy cut, on the other hand, is a nice simple trim that evens out your pooch’s coat.
Most puppy cuts average 1-2 inches long. This means that an adult dog can also get this special type of trim.
It is not only a preserve for puppies as the name may insinuate. A puppy cut makes upkeep and daily brushing much easier and quicker.
Poodles are especially good candidates for puppy cuts as they fit in the category of long-haired breeds. Their coats tend to get matted between grooms.
If your dog especially likes to play in muddy and wet conditions (which one doesn’t, anyway), a puppy cut can really make your life easier.
Puppy Cut Vs Teddy Bear Cut
When it comes to trimming your poodle (or any other dog for that matter), you can go the puppy cut way or let her have a teddy bear cut. The two mean the same thing for many people but they are slightly different.
A puppy cut leaves your pup with an even coat over her entire body—about 1-2 inches long.
In most cases, the goal is to make a poodle look cute and cuddly by maintaining hair length similar to when she was a puppy.
The length that is often chosen when you request this type of cut for your poodle is something that matches the length and style that a poodle would have naturally when she was a puppy (hence the name).
A teddy bear cut, on the other hand, entails clipping the body hair to be fairly short leaving the hair around the face and legs a bit longer.
In other words, a teddy bear trim results in a medium torso kind of shape with the shape and head areas being a little fluffier than the rest of the body.
Some owners love to create a pomp on the head and tail just to enhance a good look. As its name suggests, the cut gives your poodle a cute teddy bear-inspired look.
While some poodle owners prefer teddy bear cut to standard poodle puppy cut because it makes their dogs look cuter, you should note that the style requires a lot of grooming since the hair is left a little longer (than in a puppy cut).
Poodle Hair Basics
Whether you have a toy, miniature, or standard poodle, the truth of the matter is that you have a dog that is incredibly grooming-intensive.
Even if you choose to keep grooming at the base level, you have to put in the work to get your dog’s coat looking neat and clean round the clock.
See, a poodle’s coat is curly and full of hair. Without regular trimming, brushing, and clipping, you will end up at the vet’s office with skin issues not to mention that the coat will experience the worst case of matting.
Luckily, a poodle doesn’t shed heavily as the curls trap loose hair and don’t let it fall out. This is wonderful news for people who are hypoallergenic or those who don’t fancy the idea of always cleaning up after their dogs.
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Basic Steps for Giving a Simple Standard Poodle Puppy Cut
Now that you have a rough idea of what a toy poodle puppy cut is, how about a detailed explanation of how to do it?
Well, let’s dive right in…
What You’ll Need
- Clipper with guard or Pair of scissors
Instructions
Step 1
Determine how long you intend your dog’s coat to be. The common length is 1-2 inches.
However, the length you settle for depends on your canine’s activity level, time of the year, and her environment.
While you are at it, decide how you want her features (tail, face, and legs) to appear at the end of the exercise.
She may have pomp in her head or feature shorter/longer hairs on these areas of her body.
Take a look at a few pictures online to make the right decision.
Step 2
Grab your clippers and clip your poodle’s hair starting from his neck towards her back.
Hold the blade parallel to her body and cut to your desired length. Work your way to her back, belly, and both sides.
Keep checking your work to ensure that there are no blade marks left behind.
Step 3
Shave her anal area very carefully. Your poodle’s backside is a sensitive area.
Whichever blade you use, it should never get overheated.
Use a coolant if necessary to bring the temperature down.
Trim the hairs as short as possible.
Step 4
Trim her tail and leg. Here, you may choose to let the tail be or give it a light trim.
As for her feet, cut the hairs to the length of the rest of the body for that original puppy cut.
Step 5
Finally, trim her ears and face. After cutting the legs, bring your clippers up to her face and clip to the desired length.
If you want her ears short, now would be the time to do that.
Otherwise, let the hair in her ears remain slightly longer than her body for a stunning look.
Step 6.
Done!
How Do You Cut A Poodle Puppy’s Face?
Speaking of shaving your dog’s face, how is it done? Here’s a succinct explanation…
After setting the blade at 10, start cutting from the neck and upwards towards her chin.
Hold her head with the nose pointing to the sky while stretching the skin to prevent nicks.
Now work your way to the inner ear in straight strokes towards the eye’s outer corner.
Repeat the same for the other side of her face.
Next, clip the neck region that connects the already trimmed area next to the ear and the throat region.
Then run the blade clippers on the corner of her eye down to her nose.
While being extremely careful, cut down the fur around your pup’s eyes as well as her face.
Finally, stretch her lips back and work your way to her lips then finish off by sliding the blade around her nose and underneath the chin.
For more information, check this excellent video from Transgroom TV:
Basic Steps for Giving a Simple Standard Poodle Teddy Bear Cut
If you fancy giving your sweet poodle a standard poodle teddy bear cut rather than a toy poodle puppy cut, here’s a procedure to follow.
What you will need:
- Clipper with guard
Instructions
1. Trim from the neck and backward to her back, belly, and sides holding the clippers in a parallel motion
2. Shave her anal area the same way as above.
3. Leave her legs and tail uniform and full. To give her a true teddy bear look, let her tail and leg feature a longer and uniform length. Use blending clippers to even the hair out and blend the legs into her body.
4. Trim her face long. Finally, trim your poodle’s face and head slightly long and full than the rest of her body. Also, blend it into the body using your blending blade.
When Should I Cut My Poodle Puppy?
Grooming a puppy is very different from an adult dog.
As a rule of thumb, it is not a good idea to be cutting or overbrushing your poodle’s coat before she hits his 10-week milestone.
At this stage, her coat is not as dense, meaning she doesn’t require a lot of grooming.
You may only give a light brush when playing with your poodle puppy but don’t go extreme.
After 10 weeks, you can begin grooming. Take your time and let your dog get used to brushing, and clipping.
To be safe, don’t wait until she turns 16 weeks before you introduce her to grooming. Starting soon will save you a lot of trouble later on.
At first, your Poodle puppy will likely bite and chew on the brush when grooming her.
Hang in there; let her know that grooming time is serious business.
How Long Does A Puppy Cut Take?
The time taken to give a poodle a puppy cut depends on a number of factors including her size, length of hair, attitude, and your level of experience.
If you have a toy poodle, grooming her will be much faster than a miniature or standard poodle.
Additionally, if her hair is long, it will take you much longer to work your way up her entire body.
You are lucky if you can get her contained as that will shorten the grooming time substantially.
On average, giving your poodle a puppy cut will take you anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
Final Thoughts
There it is; a detailed guide on giving your adorable poodle a puppy cut.
With a clipper, blending blade, and a coolant, you can trim your poodle’s hair without needing the services of a grooming expert.
All you have to do is gather courage, keep your dog contained, and trim carefully.
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